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Verizon Rate Ruling
May Hit Small Business

By

Corey Boles

Updated Oct. 29, 2007 12:01 a.m. ET

Small businesses in Boston, New York and four other East Coast markets could face billions of dollars in added telecom costs if regulators grant a Verizon Communications Inc. request allowing it to charge competing phone companies much more to lease access to its network, critics of the proposal say.

The Federal Communications Commission must vote by the end of the year on an attempt by Verizon to be excused from several FCC rules in the commercial telecommunications market. The company has argued there is sufficient competition...